The present disclosure relates generally to a photovoltaic device, and more specifically, to a method and system for including a photovoltaic device on a circuit board.
There is a growing need for wide-scale deployment of sensors or circuits which contain a portable power source so that they can be deployed “off the grid” in a standalone fashion without requiring a direct connection to a power source via a wired connection. Such portable applications are currently implemented using an in-device portable power supply. In some cases this power supply is a battery or supercapacitor while in other cases the device may include a solar cell that provides power.
Some companies already offer products (sensors and circuits) that are powered by a completed solar cell that is “plugged in” to the sensor or circuit. However, providing an accompanying solar cell that connects to a device that is to be powered is costly due to added complexity, material needs, and space requirements. For example, a significant fraction of the cost of a thin film solar cell is the glass substrate. The costs of providing this glass substrate can account for as much as 50% of the overall cost of the solar cell alone. Further, additional housing and mounting hardware that is used to encompass the additional power source device within the portable device drives up the overall costs.